Session 2: Herglund (Part II)
Synopsis ''The hero Deklan is introduced. While investigating strange occurrences in the Dark Wood alongside a treant named Hrungar, Deklan and the treant are attacked by Elias, who ends up killing Hrungar. Shalla appears in hot pursuit but Elias manages to escape. Charged by the other treants of the wood to apprehend Elias, the pair pursue the Faeborn. That night, the two encounter a strange silver flame and an invisible long-limbed man. '' Details Deklan Lastrom, a shifter who has attained the rank of Master Inquisitor, is travelling through the Dark Wood in hopes of meeting some of the residents of the forest to learn information. Being a travelling Inquisitor, Deklan stops at the offices of the Inquisition he comes across in his journeys to learn of anything significant in the area. The last office he had visited had informed him that there have been reports of odd lights appearing with the Dark Wood, and, suspecting that it may be Ryvianite activity, Deklan has chosen to investigate. Deklan does manage to find a treant by the name of Hrungar in a small patch of the wood which is untouched by the winter around them. Hrungar reveals himself as the caretaker of the Dark Wood, and shares with Deklan that he knows of the lights that the Shifter speaks of, though they have disappeared whenever Hrungar approaches. The treant agrees to take Deklan to the last spot he saw the lights. Suddenly, Elias appears out of the forest, and, without explanation, attacks Hrungar. Though Deklan intervenes, Elias manages to kill the treant. At that moment, Shalla also bursts forth from the wood, and attacks Elias in a fury (Shalla is alone because Rhiannon had offered to take the captured mercenaries back to Herglund using the wagon, and, as Shalla and Sophi had pursued Elias, they had gotten separated in the storm). Again, much to Shalla’s growing frustration, Elias escapes through the ground. Deklan and Shalla just get around to introducing themselves to one another when they are suddenly surrounded by a group of treants. Angered that the eldest of them has been slain, the treants charge Deklan and Shalla to apprehend Elias. Going to Hrungar’s corpse, one of the treants removes his heart and gives it to Deklan, telling him that the heart will help in their pursuit of the Faeborn. The treants then depart as the corpse of Hrungar is claimed by the earth. Deklan and Shalla take up the chase. In the middle of the night, the duo see a light appear some distance away in the forest and go to investigate. When they reach the source, they find that the area has been covered in silver fire, which burns but does not consume the vegetation. Turning to Shalla, Deklan sees something reflected in her breastplate – that of a man who is too tall and who has too long limbs reaching for them. Deklan warns Shalla, who goes to attack where the creature should be, but her blade cuts through nothing. Watching the reflection, she sees the creature grab her, and her skin (though not her armour) ignites into silver flame, beginning to burn her alive. The creature then reaches for Deklan, who is powerless to stop the creature from grabbing him and lifting him into the air. The monster impales Deklan on the branch of a nearby tree, barely missing his spine. It is then that Deklan can feel the heart of Hrungar beating, and he draws it out of his armour. The heart flashes and when the light fades, both the creature and silver fire have disappeared. The two shamble back to their campsite and try to dress their wounds as best as possible. With the rising of the sun, however, Shalla’s burns have disappeared. First Appearances *Deklan Lastrom *Hrungar *Shadow Men Notable Characters *Shalla El'Lenorai Duin'Suul *Elias